HurriedPatience

I was not expecting to cry when I opened my Facebook memories this morning. I was expecting to post my yearly "ITS OCTOBER/MY BIRTH MONTH" post and was looking how I had put it in the past. Not this October 1st-  this time I started crying because my fun post about choosing which Texas chain I would get rid of only had one like, and it was from him.  I have been struggling to put into words how losing a family member that I didn't get much of an opportunity to know, is hurting. At his celebration of life, I heard beautiful stories from two of his classmates/ team mates/ best friends who had seen his beautiful spirit on a more normal basis.  This sentiment sadly lays with many of my direct family members for one reason or another: distance, remarriage, unspoken hurts, ect. I wish it did not, because as a almost 32 year old I am still struggling that I am not close to extended family. I LOVE FAMILY! If you are my friend, you know that I automatically adopt you into my FRAMI...

Photo by  Rifqi Ali Ridho  on  Unsplash I recently came across an article about a boy and a “grandma” celebrating their 4th Thanksgiving together after an accidental “grandma” moment text 4 years ago. The woman texted out to her family sharing about the time for Thanksgiving meal but instead of the intended grandchild receiving the message, a young man from the area received it and texted back “I don’t know you but can I still get a plate?” and in grandma fashion- no one goes hungry. After the first year, the invites kept coming.  Growing up, my household parents ( dad and bonus mom) we not from Texas, let alone the USA so I experienced holidays and family gatherings in a different light than the “normal” US-based family.  First, we didn’t have extended family to invite over for the holidays, so we included other people who had been relocated for work or school into our household- I will forever refer to these men and women as aunties and uncles or FRA...